Evaluación de un suplemento a base de cascarilla de cacao (theobroma cacao) para vacas de leche en condiciones tropicales.

Abstract

On the farm, El Manantial manufactured a food supplement from cocoa husk (Theobroma cacao) to evaluate the productive performance in dairy cows that are under the rotational grazing system. The objective is to evaluate the effect of offering a supplement based on cocoa husk (Theobroma cacao) on the productive performance and composition of cow's milk under tropical conditions. For this study, 10 crossbred cows were used with age, weight and lactation status, respectively, from the first third of lactation with an average weight of 450 kg. The evaluated treatments were: control (not supplemented) and supplemented (2 kg / animal / day of supplement based on cocoa husk), the animals were distributed in a completely randomized design with two treatments and 5 repetitions. Interaction (P <0.05) was observed between treatments and collection days on milk production, fat concentration, protein, non-fat solids and milk density. Additionally, the supplementation provided a net income of 4,278,120. These results indicate that the supplementation based on cocoa husk improves the productive performance and milk composition compared to the control treatment, becoming a viable option from the economic point of view.